Educators Hall of Fame 2019 Inductees

The ECU College of Education inducted 18 people into the Educators Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Fletcher Recital Hall on Saturday, November 9, 2019. The Hall of Fame highlights the service of teachers, administrators and educational advocates in North Carolina and beyond.

This year’s Hall of Fame scholarship recipient, Grace Harper, spoke at the ceremony about why she chose to pursue teaching as her career. “Teachers help students not only learn academic skills that will be important later on in life, they also teach their students many personal skills that help them succeed on a different level,” said Harper. “Teachers can teach students how to think creatively and independently and how to trust and believe in themselves.”

This year’s keynote speaker was Dr. Charles Coble, the former dean of the ECU College of Education and past chair of the COE Professional Advisory Board. He spoke about the importance of teachers and education as well as why funding scholarships is crucial. “Higher education is costly and out of reach for many of our hard-working fellow citizens. That reality was one of my heartbreaks when I served as dean – so many students struggled to stay in college and pursue their dream of becoming a teacher,” Coble said. Coble also thanked all of the donors for their contributions. “The inductees and the donors’ generosity will create a legacy that will support future teachers far out into the future,” he said.

The 2019 Hall of Fame Honorees are listed below.

Name	Induction Year	ECU Alumni?	Plaque Inscription
Andrea Mills Blackwood	2019	yes	East Carolina University Alumnus 1983 B.S. and 2005 MAEd. Mother to Lee, who taught her to celebrate ALL Abilities and teach passionately as a Special Educator
Sherry Rae Buck	2019	yes	Helping children develop as self-motivated independent learners with the confidence to face a changing world full of challenges since 1986.
J. Christopher Buddo	2019		Musician and Educator
Kathy Godley Clark, NBCT	2019	yes	NC Business & Marketing Educator Microsoft IT Academy Pilot Teacher Kathy's lifelong goal has been helping others to achieve their goals.
Christa L. Farmer	2019		"Within the child lies the fate of the future" - Dr. Maria Montessori
Lynn Pritchett Harrington	2019	yes	Loves sharing her knowledge of the natural world with students.
Dr. Mark Edward L'Esperance	2019		Middle Grades Education Faculty 1998 - 2019 Professor and Department Chair Co-founder Building Hope CLC
Mabel James Perry	2019	yes	She spent a lifetime making memories through God with her family, friends and students at North Pitt High School as a teacher and coach.
Mr. Henry Pryce	2019	yes	Served as a classroom teacher and coach for a decade before committing his career to the safety of public school students and employees.
Gail Watson Richards	2019	yes	Loving, Passionate Educator Fair Leader Advocate for all Students
Kathy Sue Gaskins Riggs	2019	yes	An amazing woman capable of balancing motherhood and the dream of a career in education. She did it with integrity and leadership. But most of all with a love for her students and friends.
Dr. Clinton Herbert Strong	2019		Dr. Strong brought creativity and excitement to his classroom. He was revered by his students and admired by his colleagues. Truly a professor to be remembered for a lifetime.
Madeline Davis Tucker	2019	yes	A Dedicated Lifelong Learner, and Committed Advocate For Career and Technical Education Which Expands Career Options Affecting and Changing the Lives of Students and Families.
Janis Taylor Tucker	2019		Teaching is an awesome responsibility. You have to be a master of all other professions rolled into one. Go for it!! You'll be glad you did.
Lynne Wigent	2019	yes	Honored to be included with many great teachers. "Good teachers teach. Great teachers inspire." - Author unknown
Alana M. Zambone	2019		Learned more from students and families than she ever taught them, particularly that the joy and challenge of teaching is in discovering how each child best learns.
Dorothy B. Tolson	2019	yes	Thankful that God allowed her to obtain an education and work experience that enabled her to teach adults for almost 40 years.